I haven’t got a diagnosis and would say I am in the very early stages so waiting for a neurology appointment. I’ve been having symptoms for 3 years now which initially was told it was carpal tunnel which has now been ruled out. I managed at home for many years until things worsened in the last 5 months and I booked a GP appointment. I have complete numbness on my right hand arm and hand apart from my thumb, I have constant pins and needles and pain, the numbness has now travelled down my right leg and foot and over the Christmas holidays now my left hand and foot and leg are experiencing the same numbness. My brain feels foggy and for about 2 years I have been suffering with phantom smells (I did have an MRI of my olfactory and nothing was found with this). My nerve testing came back as sensory and motor of my ulnar nerve and at that point I got a referral to a neurologist as my doctor believed it was something neurological. I have had blood tests and my B12 and folate are all fine and normal. I have an ultrasound of my elbow in a few weeks but now feel it’s irrelevant with the other areas in my body going numb. Im so unsure of what to do and whether to update my GP of my new symptoms and numbness. My right hand is unusable at times and looses strength and function and continually cramps up and sadly I am right handed so it’s very difficult. Does anyone have any experience of symptoms like me? Does anyone have sensory and motor nerve results? I am female and 40 years old. Many thanks for taking the time to read
Welcome to the forum. You are not alone in having these worries.
I’m just a worried husband so can’t really offer much help other than to say there are many knowledgeable and kind people on here who will offer advice.
Yes, it could be MS, but could still be something else too.
Go back to your GP and ask them to re-present the referral and mark it as urgent. You need to get a Head, Neck & Thoracic MRI done ASAP. Some GP’s are able to order the MRI’s themselves so the the Neurologist has the results when he first meets you, but more likely, you’ll meet the Neuro and then get sent for MRI which can cause a delay of several months sometimes.
Pester until you get what you want. First with GP and then, if you can get a name in the Neurology dept. at the Hospital, pester there as well. Unfortunately shouting loudest can be the best way at the moment.
Yes, you should update your GP, who might be able to hurry that neurology referral along. You don’t have private health cover at work, do you? Even if not, if the waiting times are awful where you are, you might consider paying for an initial consult with your local MS neurologist if he/she does private as well as NHS work. Again, your GP can advise, and you can also do your own homework online. In any case, make a note of symptoms and timings - you think you’ll remember them but, if you’re like me, your mind will go blank when confronted with a white coat.
I think you have been a very patient patient, but it’s really time to get things moving here.
Thank you everyone I will try and get an appointment next week if I’m able to mention the new symptoms I feel delay due to the ultrasound of my elbow is silly considering my symptoms are in both arms and hands, legs and feet. Thank you for your support.
So I managed to get a call today with the duty doctor and I’ve been referred to hospital to rule out a potential syndrome and then hopefully I will get a referral to neurology. So who knows, only thing I am certain of is my body is not functioning as it should so hopefully at some point will get an answer.